Going Green, Berlin Style!

In the past couple months, I’ve been focusing on sustainable fashion, lowering my ecological footprint, consuming less meat, and remembering to turn the lights off.

To be honest, I haven’t always been concerned with living an eco-friendly lifestyle. But this change is due in part to me moving to Berlin, Germany and working at places like Euref-Campus in Schoneberg.

Electrical car charging on EUREF’s Campus

EUREF-Campus is a symbol of the energy revolution in Germany. The focus on ecological and economic sustainability have boosted the offices on this campus, which have already met Germany’s climate objectives for 2050.

How EUREF-Campus is making a difference

Energy efficient building technologies

Home to the largest car re-charging station in Germany

LOCALLY GENERATED RENEWABLE ENERGY! (Like whaaat? So awesome!)

Biogas cogeneration is used to produce its own CO₂- neutral energy supply

Honestly, I feel so lucky to work on a campus that is a daily reminder of the importance of living an environmentally sustainable lifestyle.

EUREF-Campus! (I work in the first building on the left)

I love living in Berlin because it is a wild, and adventurous city, but also because it’s advancing in eco-friendly innovation. Berliners are great at keeping things green, which is why it is ranked number four out of ten for being one of the most eco-friendly cities by tentree.com. Simple eco-friendly practices like separating garbage from glass, paper, waste, and packaging and also a high amount of bikers differentiate Berlin from numerous other cities. When I first arrived in Berlin I was shocked at how many options there were to sort garbage. (See figure below) I still have to take a moment and think about how to correctly sort my garbage. (I’m not gonna lie, it takes me a minute.. or three.) Berlin’s communities are passionate about recycling, resourcing, and creating a sustainable environment.

The tricky guy that always gets me (lol)

Hm, why aren’t environmental practices this stressed in Minneapolis? Food for thought, or maybe this is just another reason why I prefer Berlin over Minneapolis.